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Microsoft admits scratch problem with Xbox 360
Posted on 15/04/07 23:44 by Jan Willem
There are many sites on the internet describing a typical Xbox 360 problem: the console scratches game discs. Some users are reporting that the scratches were enough to make their game disc obsolete. There hasn't been much discussion on the fact that the problem exists by consumers, but untill now Microsoft has always somewhat denied the problem and never proposed a solution.
The Dutch television show Kassa, which deals with customer complaints, has been nagging Microsoft about this problem for several weeks, they did tests with Xbox360 setups and filmed (and proofed) that the Xbox360 is indeed responsible for scratching game discs, when not moved, placed on a stable table and under the best possible conditions.
According to the show, the majority of the problems seem to be caused by a TSST drive that is missing parts that stabilize the disc. The problem also seems to be mainly found by consoles produced in December 2006. Estimated is that worldwide nearly 1 to 2 million units are affected.
Thousands of people responded to the show complaining about the same problem and Microsoft simply had to act.
In a press statement the company stated: "As we were not involved with the experiment of Kassa and have little insights in the testing methods, we are not able to respond in detail on the results. It is possible that scratches on discs originate from frequent use. However, we have no indication that the results of the tests from Kassa are a large scale problem.
Of course it is important to us that our customers have the best possible game experience and therefore we take these test results very serious. Xbox owners who think their discs are scratched as reported by Kassa, should contact us. We will investigate the console and when needed repair it so it becomes a full functioning console. We will also inform Xbox owners how they can obtain replacements discs in case they require them."
The television show also reported that while this issue is now an issue in the Netherlands (it is also widely covered in regular news), it could become a global problem for Microsoft in the future. Therefore I would recommend anyone who is facing the same problem to contact their local Microsoft office and point them to this article.
Also Digg this article to make it known to the entire world.
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Reactions
Discuss this article with your fellow community members! We appreciate your valuable input, but please keep the reaction policy in mind and make sure your reaction is constructive.
By
Josh (guest),
Monday 16 April 2007 05:15
It's a great system it just needs a revision to work out all of its problems.
Sign the petition to recall 360 so it may have it bugs worked out. http://www.petitiononline.com/360recal/petition-sign.html?
Nice to see this issue being picked up by more news sites.By
Kmach (guest),
Monday 16 April 2007 11:09
MS saying that it is possible that there is a scratch problem with SOME units is a far cry from saying the MS admits that all 360's have scratch issues like the title implies ("it is a typcial 360 problem?"). Not that some units don't have a scratching problem but all my friends with 360's don't have this problem, I don't have this problem, and I have never heard of anyone having this problem playing over Live. with over 10 million units sold and the fact that it has really just now gotten some headlines mean it is probably a very small problem. I believe MS when they say they will look into because when my launch 360 died I had a new one on my doorstep in just 4 business days!
Just because a Dutch television program says that they have one console that scratched a disc means nothing. There are a lot of questions: did they just test one random unit or several (even if they tested several that is hardly a representative sample)? Test it in both vertical and horizontal? Or is there bias of any sort (tampering, etc.)? A garbage study but instead of ignoring this single test altogether MS has said they would look into it, respectable enough for a large company. There is a lot of cooky stuff that goes on with these game companies, I remember Sony got caught doing propaganda sites, forums postings, and videos for the PS3. Who knows if this story is even real, or if someone is on somebody's payroll. Paranoid I know but you can't just take everything to heart you read on the internet.
Another possibility might be I am an American 360 owner, maybe a bad batch of DVD Drives got shipped to the UK? Or maybe this problem is within normal fault rates of that class of DVD drive? Still nothing unusual.
Kmach, "more than 10 million units sold"? I think its around 5 million units..By
Weedar (guest),
Monday 16 April 2007 14:19
I live in Norway, and my 360 har ruined two games (disc read error), and made scratches in almost every other game I have bought. Three times I have tried to contact Microsofts customer service, and after five minutes in their phone queue I have been told to leave my name, phone number and a description of the problem. No response. Not for months. I have also tried their contact form online, but I doubt I will have more luck with it.
It seems to me that they are simply not willing to deal with this problem
By
djrav (guest),
Monday 16 April 2007 15:24
The only problem I have seen with scratched discs is when people lift or move the xbox 360 while a disc in the drive is playing, something that MS warns against in the manual. People that have their discs scratched that way should not blame the system or MS.
This story is about the fact that Microsoft has admitted that even when the system is not moved, on a stable, 100% flat table (and a 20 cm concrete studio floor) and after only five hours of playtime, it still damages and scratches discs. Which seems to be caused by a flawed DVD-ROM drive that is missing parts that keep the discs stable.
This is not about consoles that are worn out, treated badly or are moved when playing a game.Well you can always use back up copy ... WHAT ? you can't ? it's copy protected ?
Well here you see great case for copy protections and DRM , don't you ?
Trust M$ use to use shoddy DVD-ROM components. The more rabid anti-M$ types will probably claim M$ did this on purpose to sell more game discs.
Hypnosis4U2NV, not sure what you refer to but MS has sold about 11 million 360 units.
My friend at work fixed his own 360, it was having trouble booting games, he keeps saying how incredibly cheap & crappy the DVD drive mechanism is on the 360. He can't believe they use it for something so critical.
My 360 reminds me of my Toyota Camry, nice-ish looking, but full of cheap flimsy plasitc parts !
This message was edited at: 17-04-2007 16:05
This message was edited at: 17-04-2007 16:05
By
Marcel (guest),
Wednesday 18 April 2007 12:01
Good, now Microsoft only has to admit their other mistake...Windows! 
By
Ragnax (guest),
Monday 30 April 2007 01:47
In response to kmach or anyone thinking similar:
I saw the actual broadcasts of Kassa that involved the XBox360. Yes, it's real. Yes, it does affect a couple of thousand people.
Try this link: http://kassa.vara.nl/portal?_scr=kassa_artikel&number=3233237
It gives you a nice english summary, plus links to english subtitled video fragments of Kassa.
By
Neutral Gamer (guest),
Monday 30 July 2007 19:10
"The only problem I have seen with scratched discs is when people lift or move the xbox 360 while a disc in the drive is playing, something that MS warns against in the manual. People that have their discs scratched that way should not blame the system or MS."
Yeah, I'm sure people are dumb enough to actuall do that dipshit. Being the owner of several disc using systems I'd have to say Microsoft is at fault as they could have easily prevented this.
If discs get scratched when the console is not being moved it is not the fault of the owner. Damn every response has to have to jerk-off Microsoft employee saying "Read the manual, it's the onwer's fault not microsoft" Got some news for you Rav, it is M$'s problem and instead of spreading bullshit like this you should be helping them fix it you jackass.
Gamer out
By
joey (guest),
Friday 28 September 2007 05:44
I have gone through 4 halo 3 discs and my xbox has scratched them and now my xbox cannot read the discs im tired of wasting money
By
mat (guest),
Sunday 30 September 2007 21:04
i have a new xbox 360 made 23-05-2006 and my cd drive is making rings on my cds i was wondering how to fix the problem ? 
By
Greg (guest),
Tuesday 02 October 2007 14:10
Well my xbox has now gone through two copies of oblivion, dead or alive 4 and gears of war, Microsoft better fix this problem, I plan to get the xbox replaced under warranty and only gonna worry about replacing gears of war 
, damn microsoft, disapointed in the 360 and Halo 3 (Halo 2s twin)..
, damn microsoft, disapointed in the 360 and Halo 3 (Halo 2s twin)..By
Ted (guest),
Thursday 04 October 2007 23:21
LIVE IN FLORIDA AND IN THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS ANY GAME I BUY FOR MY 360 GETS TOTALLY SCRATCHED UP. I KNOW IT'S FROM MY XBOX CUZ THEY BOTH HAVE CIRCULAR SCRATCHES ON THEM. mY 360 WAS LEVEL. I TRIED HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL PLAY. bOTH INEFFECTIVE. RAIN BOW 6 VEGAS AND HALO3 ARE TOAST. THEY READ THAT XBOX 360 DOESNT READ THEM AS GAMES, BUT DVD'S. WTF! DO ANY OF YOU KNOW HOW TO GO ABOUT FIXING OR REPLACING MY 360?
By
Rafael (guest),
Thursday 18 October 2007 05:53
I JUST HAD AN X-BOX 360 THAT I RETURNED TO BEST BUY BECAUSE IT SCRATCHED MY HALO3. THEY TOLD ME TO GO ON MICROSOFT SO THEY CAN REPLACE MY HALO 3. SO CAN YOU GUYS REPLACE MY HALO 3 THAT WAS SCRATCHED BY THE X-BOX 360?
By
teresa (guest),
Sunday 04 November 2007 20:47
we have an xbox 360 unit from dec 2007 and it has now put rings on 2 brand new games. i contacted microsoft as soon as it happened to the first game. there technical support person told us to put the second game in and see what happens. we were reluctant to do this because it may scratch the 2nd game and they told us to do it. they also told us that they would replace the 2nd disc if it scratched it. well...it scratched it and we had to fight with them and are still fighting with them to get it replaced!! their customer service is horrible. it is clearly a manufacturing defect and they will not even stand behind their product. but i won't give up!
By
filipe (guest),
Sunday 11 November 2007 16:48
i agree with who ever says this crap is damagin disks and ill tell you why
i bought my 360 like 2months agi and never had a problem it hadnt moved since i got it either..onli in the last month i bought ea skate and it skinned me 45 quid! and also a burnout game at 20 quid..within id say a month altogether the thing had scarted both the games to shit i was actually ragin about skate as it cost so much
so i took the xbox back to cex ( it was prewoned) and yes i no youll say its preowned and you have nothing on them but i do as it says it shud last a year or more
so i took it back and they refused to belve what iwas saying about the disks and sed it was my fault
so my dad took it in and he left it with them and cex claimed they had checke it all week
so i got it back just yesterday and bought fifa 07 to see if it was working and no marks were being made
id says easily after less than 5hours of playing the disk was reading as unreadible wioth the rings on the outside
i put more game sin it last night and now all my games are brok (3 in 24 hours) and you mite say im stup[id putting tem in if i thot it was broke but ineed proof that my xbox is faulty!
add my msn if yee needa talk bout this !
filipe_flop@hotmail.co.uk
i will NOT be letting this go as i have 93quids worth of broken games in my room
By
Care (guest),
Monday 19 November 2007 13:58
I barely tapped my xbox360 with my foot, And now I have this very nice round Scratch all over my Assassins Creed game, OH JOY
By
Billy Timbers (guest),
Thursday 20 December 2007 14:28
Xbox 360 scratching games....I have the same problem!!! But I realized after wiping the disc, the scratches turned out to be some kind of unknown fluid that was leaking from god knows where in my Xbox 360! So then I took a look inside the open dvd rom tray to see if I could spot any sign of fluid inside and I discovered a hell of alot of dust and cat hair or whatever that did not come from me or my house... (I know this because I had just received this Xbox from Xbox 360 Repair Center which was delivered by Purolator. So, with those defects
plus the unpleasant grinding/buzzing noise it makes when booting a game. Do they expect me to believe that these characteristics could be normal So, I have found myself speaking to the friendly and caring xbox 360 repair staff again, about the these issues, trying to explain that they accidentally sent me one that is still broken...because if it did make it's way through the Certified Refurbished Xbox 360 Inspection and Testing Dept. it would have probably been cleaned too? Yes? No? I hope it would, or is this the kind of care we get for our dollar? After all the videos and stories i've seen about everyone's faulty 360's, I am not suprised that I will also get my share of frustrations too! However, I did buy an extended warranty (3yr) with the place of purchase (future shop) to assure my satisfaction and protection. But after more thought I wonder if 3 year warranty will only prolong the struggle to finally gain possesion of a properly built, functioning and reliable Xbox 360 (paid for long ago). I am starting to doubt that I will ever be satisfied, so unless the arrival of my third 360 turns out to be...... THE ONE!!! aka. my money's worth, I will have seen true colors in certain parties!
P.S If i'm sound too dramatic, it's because I want to stress the importance of recognizing the fact
we are forced to endure the frustration and other emotion caused due to a sense of being takin for a fool and/or lied to. I also lost all faith in the idea of a safe purchase. Even with a warranty I currently feel like I have to jump through hoops for both, manafacturer and retailer, if I hope to ever see a satisfactory product or even my money back!
Does anyone know where to get the book: Standing Up For Youself For Dummies....? Ha Ha!
First post ever!!!
Good to finally speak out.
Peace to the real, death to the fakers!
If You See Kay Why Owe You
By
Dave (guest),
Wednesday 02 January 2008 18:06
My 360 scratches my discs too. I'm in the US, so not just a Euro problem. Assassins Creed is almost unplayable, brother in law's just started scratching his Assassins Creed too!A flaw in the 360 made worse by a specific game??? Crazy. Called MS and they said I was out of warranty, but they knew exactly what was wrong and I could pay round trip shipping plus $99. So basically F YOU!
By
Bah (guest),
Wednesday 02 January 2008 22:29
My R6 Vegas was ruined when a buddy put it in his vertical 360 unit. Then a coworkers daughter ruined my GH3 in a vertically mounted Elite unit. Lesson learned. Keep the 360 horizontal.
By
Dave (guest),
Wednesday 02 January 2008 22:40
After M$'s initial F YOU, I called back to talk to a supervisor. They won't budge. Also found out that there is a class action lawsuit (actualy 3) against M$ for the disc scratching issue. I hope they get the shaft! 
Also found out that there is a class action lawsuit (actualy 3) against M$ for the disc scratching issue. I hope they get the shaft! By
J (guest),
Thursday 03 January 2008 10:35
You think this is a one time issue with Microsoft? They have a rap sheet the size of mexico. Its been going on since the days of Windows 3.1, you think they will fix this, i seriously doubt it. Heck, even a class action lawsuit did nothing to fix the problems. I will not be supporting them anymore, i wasted enough money on them.
By
Rahul (guest),
Wednesday 09 January 2008 17:56
I've had the same problem of disc scratching, in a horizontally place, totally stable 360... My oblivion disc was scratched today for the 8th time... Each time I've gotten it working by using brasso!!! Fifa 08 is on its 4th scratch...
To top it off, my disc drive won't eject, I actually have to whack it to make it come out!!!
By
tim (guest),
Friday 18 January 2008 20:51
my 360 did the same to oblivoin and my call of duty 4 witch was only a couple of hours old, told microsoft they said that dont happen and theres nothing the can do cose it aint a microsoft game,so paid £45 for a game take it home and its fucked within a couple of hours,my 360 was 4 months old and was in the same place as i put from new and never moved it, my advise buy a ps3 as the customer service is superb any problem get sorted straight away and its hd you cant get a digital picture from a component cable
By
vince (guest),
Wednesday 23 January 2008 05:15
curse the 360 it scratch my fav games it also broke 25 of my best game so curse it if u can!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
By
madmama (guest),
Monday 11 February 2008 21:50
I just bought the 360 arcade version about 2 weeks ago. All the brand new games we used in it, 4 to be exact have scratches all the way around. After reading all these posts from 1-2 years ago, you would think the a$$holes would have fixed the problem. I'm taking this overpriced piece back and sony or nintendo we'll be doing business with you from now on..... 
I found a solution to the XBox 360 Scratched disc problem....
There Is a product called DSkin Disc Protectors which snap on to any standard sized disk and allow them to play or record with this protective skin on the disc. I have tested it and XBox 360 Can Not Damage The Discs. I haven't even seen it damage the skin, but if it does just replace it. Main point is your disc is still playable regardless.There are similar inventions which involve sprays,glue, or actually shaving discs to get to the next unscratched layer
(do not try this on a $50+ Disc.) But these D_Skins really work. Check This YouTube Link http://www.dskinmaestro.com/page/1465703 
This message was edited at: 18-02-2008 14:23
This message was edited at: 18-02-2008 14:23
By
Austin (guest),
Tuesday 26 February 2008 20:23
i'm effin pissed, i just bought my 360 elite last week and the first few days playin games w/ nooo problems whatsoever. but today i stick in fifa 08 and i hear this "SSKKSsssszzz" noise. and i'm like "wtf?!" eject the game and notice these circular rape/skank/grotesque marks the 360 left haha. fuckin pissed off!!!! and i mean either way u put in the disk, it shouldn't matter how right?(360 standing still of course) i mean unless you were to juggle w/ the 360 as the game is loading... but i had my 360 laying horizontally...so wtf is goin onnnnnn??!!!
By
Dave (guest),
Monday 03 March 2008 15:53
What is the MFG date on your Elite, Austin?
By
Devin (guest),
Saturday 22 March 2008 17:08
I am really mad i bought a game 2 days ago and my 360 is saying that it is an unreadle disk. and there are no scratches!!! what the hell is going on??
and there are no scratches!!! what the hell is going on??By
doug (guest),
Tuesday 08 April 2008 23:37
We could take the original XBOX in the back of our Exdpedition and play games all trip long without any issues or damage to the game disks. My Xbox 360 has destroyed 5 games over the last two years when receiving simple floor vibration. So, for all of you who say it is not and issue, you do not know much about how easy it is to build a dvd player that keeps the disc in place. It DOES cost a buck or two more to manufacture, so to keep costs down, I suspect MS went with the cheapest player it could find in China.
I repeat - we took the original Xbox off road in the back of our Expedition for years -- and never had a disk get damaged. \"Sneeze\" near and Xbox 360 and your disk is toast!
By
mitcho (guest),
Saturday 17 May 2008 03:23
lol i have one of them special halo xbox, and i had it for.... maybe 5 months and my new gta game just got scratched up to the point of not being able to play it.... irritating.... but geez.... i had it for 2 weeks now, i feel bad for the lot that had it for two hours and scratched 5 disks.... but.... GTA is just orgasmic sooooooo kinda equals out :P
By
dama (guest),
Thursday 22 May 2008 17:04
I just got my GTA4 disc screwed by my xbox... and found this article, went and checked the date on the back of my xbox and its a dec 2006 model. In addition, alot of my otherdiscs are scratched and what i would consider border-line playable(sometimes get random errors- gta is happning all the time now)
EAT SHIT MICROSOFT
By
dama (guest),
Thursday 22 May 2008 17:09
Also, I have been unable to get through to anyone at microshaft who is willing to help me with this issue. After dropping over 1000$ on a gaming system and all the stuff that should be incl to play it you would think u would atleast have a system that works.
IF ANY PARTIES ARE INTERESTED IN FILING CLASS-ACTION SUIT AGAINST MICROSOFT IN THE USA PLS CONTACT ME OR IF YOU HAVE EVIDENCE OF ANOTHER PENDING LAWSUIT PLS EMAIL
shaun@codeware.com
By
Laura (guest),
Friday 20 June 2008 14:13
I hired a 360 game from my local video store ,and my xbox scratched it I was the first person to hire it out I took great care of it while I had it .But after playing it in my xbox 360 it scratch it and now it is unreadable now I have to pay the video shop back what a bastard.
By
steve (guest),
Tuesday 24 June 2008 22:49
xbox 360 what a pile of junk ive had mine 2 months and its scratched gotham racing in a perfect circle.im going staight bk to shop for a full refund give me ps2 or ordinary xbox anytime cheap dvd drivers
By
bill (guest),
Monday 30 June 2008 04:17
My 360's manufacture date is dec '06. Burnout revenge is ruined after only an hour of play. Never damaged any other discs, but now i'm afraid to try any that were working before. How can microsuck get away with the crap that they sell. They don't even honor warranties like their supposed to.
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